National Republican., 1887-08-31

In other words, with total vote of less than
2s,tOO, ten members OF Congress were chosen t.
represent the state of Georgia, and to WELD u.
much power in shaping national legislation II
any ten congressman from Ohio aud othe
states, who were chosen upon total vote Oi
500 900.
Fairly attained results must always be cheer
fully accepted, but 1t cannot be expected thI
such manifest abuses viii be long tolerated
The demand for their suppression Is rapidly
becoming irresistible, and people who are II
aware of this fact have not Rept up with publ.
sentiment In this respect so long a. theN,
election frauds affected only local results the
great mas mass of the people npPesred to be, and
They did not realize AT least, not keenly, thai
they were injured by the triumph of fraud H..
the election of even congressman aud elector,
So long MS the general result was satisfactory L
was easy, as well as agreeable, to believe that
in so far as such wrongs would not right them
selves, II was the duty of others to corre1t
them. But change has been wrought This
dream of indifference was rudely interrupted
by the presidential election of 1881. The peo'
pie OF Ohio. ana OF every other northern state,
were then made TO understand aud appreciate
that when man is not allowed to vote IN
Mississippi or any other state, or wheH he
wrongfully votes for himself aud his nsghbor
also, or when in any other manner he inter
feres with free expression of the popular
will and Its honest ascertainment, thelr rights
are directly and importantly affected; that. In
other words, this thing of voting, no matter
In what place 1t may be done, is the common
country, and that to rob voter of his right Ia
vote in any locality is to rob everybody else as
well.
In asking that this should be stopped, there
is no bitterness or sectionallsm involved. bnt
only reasonable demand that the coustitu.
tion shall be observed, and that common
honesty shall prevail. This becomes more
apparent when we recall how this trouble has
arisen. When the war ended, and the Repub-
lican party entered upon the work OF recon
s!ruction, It had no purpose except to restore
the rebellious ates to their proper relations tC
the general government, in such way as best
to secure the fruits of the war, and at the same
time. demonstrate to them that they had been
subdued, not for conquest, but only for peace
and union. But this involved Il provision tOi
their representation In Congress aud In the
election OF President. There could not bt
such representation, however, without a vOt
Ing constituency for its basis, and thus tht
practical question was, "Who should be in
trusted with the bAllotY'
There was much difference of opinion. Some
insisted that only the white people had enough
intelligence: others SAID only the colored peo
pie were sufficiently loyal Finally, as II gen
erous compromise, IT was determined that tn,
right of suffrage should be conferred upnL
whites and blacks, loyal and dislOyal. alike
and that representation should be increase
and allowed accordingly. On account of thi
enfranchisement and consequent representa-
tion Of the blacks, these states had in the las
presidential election 3S electoral votes TO mi
one of which would they have been othnrwiIl
entitled, and every one of which would have
been cast for Blame aud Logan IL the VIII %
the people they represented could have con
tIolled them. II these votes had been simoly
blotted out, and not cast at all Mr.. Cleveland
could not have been elected. The consequence.
L., that Mr.. Cleveland is President because tn,
white Democrats of the south not only cast fO
him the votes that Iightfully belonged 10 them
but also these 3S votes. which they fraudulenlly
appropriated to their own use,
By reason OF this abuse oil It's magllanimity
the enemies OF the Republican party have in
vested themselves with au undue proportion =
POLITICAL power, aud have In that way, secured
control of the government; ana we are a,keu
silently 10 ncquiesce IN such iniquity. not lo
the past; but for the present aud future, TN
lCsr that to say anything about II might hur
somebody's feelings. II Is dihcult to Apprt
cGte such a tender regard for the mental com
fOft of the perpetrators OF such OntTages, mar
ticulaTly when II Is coupled with an entire dis
regard Of the rights OF those who are injured
ana who alone have cause to complain. |
would seem to be more Just, IL anybOiy's feel
ings are 10 be hurt, to stfiSe nj those who ar,
IN the wrong. But why should the discussion
OF this question and It's rlghtiul sattlcmen
offend anybody
Republicans ask no more than that every
man shall be. allowed tovote as he may choose
and that his ballot shall bG counted as cast
They ask only that which th cOn,litutiOl
guarantees. They do not want to keep alIy,
any OF the hatrcds of the war, On the contrary
they earnestly desire the most cordial relaii m
between all the sections; but they want thl
good will established on basis that recognize
and conforms to the settlements of the war